Montreal
Protocol Nations Grant U.S. Methyl Bromide Uses Despite Ban(Beyond Pesticides, November 10, 2006) The
members of the Montreal
Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer met in India
last week and approved the United States’ request to use methyl
bromide despite the treaty’s ban on the chemical for developed
countries, which went into effect on January 1, 2006.

At the New Delhi
meeting, treaty partners granted the U.S. 5,900 tons for uses deemed
critical in 2008 (mostly agricultural in Florida and California), just
shy of the Bush administration’s request of 7,100 tons (while
global consumption is estimated at 30,000 tons). The exception came
despite the treaty’s technical committee’s recommendation
of a more substantial reduction of the U.S.’s request, on grounds
that other countries have proven that alternative practices and products
can successfully replace the chemical. In addition, chemical companies
are also allowed to manufacture 5,000 tons of the allotment, despite
the U.S. having much larger, existing stockpiles.

Other participating
regions, including Latin American and the European Union, strongly oppose
the U.S.’s request for exemption, saying such special treatment
will not help eliminate world-wide use of the ozone-depleting chemical.
This also removes the possibility of the U.S. taking a lead in methyl
bromide’s phase-out. Swedish delegate Husamuddin Ahmadzai said
the U.S.’s repeated requests are “certainly undermining
the spirit of the Montreal Protocol and setting a bad example for other
countries.”

In addition to disapproval
from other member countries, environmental non-governmental organizations
have called for a strengthening of the Montreal Protocol, citing amongst
its challenges the continued excessive use of methyl bromide for agricultural,
quarantine and pre-shipment purposes. Signatories to the statement include
Friends of the Earth-UK, Greenpeace International, and the Environmental
Investigation Agency (EIA). Sascha Von Bismarck, of EIA, said, “It’s
extremely disappointing that now that the U.S. has finally confirmed
its enormous
stockpile, it continues to fight tooth and nail to get special treatment
in the world to use a gas that will cause increased skin cancer and
a host of other environmental effects.”

TAKE
ACTION!: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is
currently
accepting public comments on the Tolerance Reassessment and Risk
Management Decision for Methyl Bromide, and Reregistration Eligibility
Decision for Methyl Bromide’s Commodity Uses. Comments must be
submitted on or before November 24, 2006. To comment, visit EPA’s
Regulations page
and search for docket number EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-0123.

Also, EPA is in
the middle of a Soil
Fumigant Assessment, which began in 2004. Methyl bromide is one
of the five chemicals being assessed. Although EPA has already conducted
its first round of public comments on the assessments, comments on the
Revised Risk Assessments, Aternatives/Benefits Analysis, and Risk Management
Options are anticipated for early spring 2007, along with stakeholder
meetings in areas of high usage.